Wedge bar locking mechanism for a casket

Abstract

A casket having a body and a lid hinged to the body along a hinged edge, and an unhinged edge opposite the hinged edge, includes a wedge bar locking mechanism for locking the lid to the body in a closed position. The locking mechanism includes a wedge bar installed within a cavity of the casket body flange which extends along the unhinged edge, the wedge bar interacting with pull-down studs which are mounted on a flange of the lid and which extend into the cavity upon closing the lid via a plurality of openings in the body flange. The wedge bar is supported vertically by a plurality of hangers which reside within the openings in the body flange. Each hanger includes a radial flange and a cylindrical sleeve depending therefrom. The sleeve has two diametrically opposite vertical slots which receive the wedge bar and permit the wedge bar to move along its longitudinal axis for locking and unlocking the mechanism. The slots terminate at their lower ends at support surfaces on which the wedge bar rests. The hangers thereby support the wedge bar, and also act as grommets providing passageways for the pull-down studs.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wedge bar locking mechanism in combination with a casket, said casket including a body and a lid, said mechanism locking said lid to said body along an unhinged edge of said body, said body including a flange along said unhinged edge of said body, said body flange including at least one opening therein, said mechanism including: at least one keeper mounted on said lid adjacent an unhinged edge thereof so that upon closing said lid to said body, said keeper extends through said at least one opening in said body flange;   a wedge bar mounted beneath a lower surface of said body flange, said wedge bar movable longitudinally toward and away from an end wall of said body to lock and unlock said lid to said body, respectively, said wedge bar including at least one catch located below said at least one opening in said body flange; and   a wedge bar hanger secured in said at least one opening of said body flange and supporting said wedge bar, said hanger including a grommet portion and a depending hanger portion, said grommet portion having a central hole through which said at least one keeper extends upon closing of said lid, said hanger portion including surfaces which engage said wedge bar to secure said wedge bar against substantial vertical and transverse movements thereof while permitting longitudinal movement of said wedge bar toward and away from said end wall for locking and unlocking said casket.   
     
     
       2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said wedge bar hanger includes a generally tubular member having a sidewall defining said hanger portion, said generally tubular member having a pair of slots extending through approximately diametrically opposite portions of said sidewall below said body flange, said slots containing said wedge bar and having lower surfaces upon which said wedge bar rests and side surfaces which prevents substantial transverse movement of said wedge bar. 
     
     
       3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said generally tubular member is split from the bottoms of said slots downward to the lower end of said tubular member thereby defining two semi-tubular members, and the material of said tubular member is sufficiently flexible and resilient that said two semi-tubular members may be spread apart to permit said wedge bar to pass therebetween and into said slots during installation of said wedge bar mechanism in said casket. 
     
     
       4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said generally tubular member comprises a length of cylindrical pipe which is threaded, said hanger further including, a correspondingly threaded nut, an upper end of said pipe extending upwardly through said at least one opening and engaging said nut to secure said hanger within said opening. 
     
     
       5. The combination of claim 2 wherein said generally tubular member comprises a cylindrical sleeve, said hanger further including a radially extending flange integrally attached to an upper end of said sleeve, said sleeve including hooks on an outer surface thereof, said hanger being secured within said at least one opening by interference between said radial flange and an upper surface of said body flange adjacent said at least one opening and between said hooks and a lower surface of said body flange adjacent said at least one opening. 
     
     
       6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said sleeve is split from the bottoms of said slots downward to the lower end of said sleeve thereby defining two semi-cylindrical members, and the material of said sleeve is sufficiently flexible and resilient that said two semi-cylindrical members may be spread apart to permit said wedge bar to pass therebetween and into said slots during installation of said wedge bar mechanism in said casket, said semi-cylindrical members then returning to their undeformed positions retaining said wedge bar within said slots. 
     
     
       7. The combination of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of openings in said body flange and a corresponding number of keepers mounted on said lid and arranged to pass through said openings upon closing of said lid, each opening having one said wedge bar hanger installed therein. 
     
     
       8. A method of installing a wedge bar in a casket having a body with a flange at an upper end thereof which confronts a flange of a lid of said casket along an unhinged edge of said casket when said lid is in the closed position, said casket including a cavity within said body flange, said cavity extending along said unhinged edge of said casket, said body flange including a plurality of openings into said cavity, said openings being spaced apart along said unhinged edge, the method comprising: positioning said wedge bar within said cavity below said openings;   inserting a hanger in each opening, each hanger including a radial flange and a pair of depending legs which define a bar-receiving space therebetween for receiving said wedge bar, said legs including support surfaces providing vertical support to said wedge bar when said wedge bar is disposed within said bar-receiving space, said legs having lower ends which are movable away from each other to permit said wedge bar to be inserted in a vertical direction upward into said bar-receiving space;   moving said legs of each hanger away from each other;   causing relative vertical movement between each hanger and said wedge bar to cause said wedge bar to move between said moved-apart legs into said bar-receiving space of each hanger; and   moving said legs of each hanger back toward each other so that said wedge bar is vertically supported within said bar-receiving space by said support surfaces.   
     
     
       9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first moving step comprises relatively moving said wedge bar and said hangers toward each other so that said wedge bar bears against downwardly facing surfaces of said depending legs of each hanger so as to cause said legs of each hanger to move away from each other to permit said wedge bar to be moved into said bar-receiving space, and the second moving step occurs by virtue of said legs resiliently returning to undeformed positions proximate one another when said wedge bar has been fully moved into said bar-receiving space. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 9, wherein the causing step comprises pushing said wedge bar upward against stationary hangers which have been fully installed in said body flange openings. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 9, wherein the causing step comprises pushing said hangers downwardly through said body flange openings against said wedge bar which is stationary beneath said openings. 
     
     
       12. A combination of a wedge bar and a combined wedge bar hanger and keeper guideway for use in a casket having a body and a lid, the body including a body flange with a cavity therein, the lid including a keeper and the body flange having an opening through which the keeper extends upon closing the lid against the body flange, said wedge bar being adapted to be located in the cavity and being longitudinally moveable to engage and disengage the keeper for locking and unlocking the lid in a closed position against the body, said combined wedge bar hanger and keeper guideway comprising: a wedge bar hanger adapted to be secured in the opening of the body flange, said hanger including a grommet portion and a depending hanger portion, said grommet portion having a central hole through which the keeper extends upon closing of the lid, said hanger portion including surfaces engaging said wedge bar to secure said wedge bar against substantial vertical and transverse movements thereof while permitting longitudinal movement of said wedge bar for locking and unlocking the casket;   wherein said wedge bar hanger includes a generally tubular member having a sidewall defining said hanger portion, said generally tubular member having a pair of slots extending through approximately diametrically opposite portions of said sidewall, said slots containing said wedge bar and having lower surfaces vertically supporting said wedge bar and side surfaces preventing substantial transverse movement of said wedge bar.   
     
     
       13. The combination of claim 12 wherein said generally tubular member is split from the bottoms of said slots downward to the lower end of said tubular member thereby defining two semi-tubular members, and the material of said tubular member is sufficiently flexible and resilient that said two semi-tubular members may be spread apart to permit said wedge bar to pass therebetween and into said slots during assembly. 
     
     
       14. The combination of claim 12 wherein said generally tubular member comprises a length of cylindrical pipe which is threaded, said hanger further including a correspondingly threaded nut, an upper end of said pipe adapted to extend upwardly through the opening in the body flange and engage said nut to secure said hanger within the opening. 
     
     
       15. The combination of claim 12 wherein said generally tubular member comprises a cylindrical sleeve, said hanger further including a radially extending flange integrally attached to an upper end of said sleeve, said sleeve including hooks on an outer surface thereof, said hanger being securable within the opening by interference between said radial flange and an upper surface of the body flange adjacent the opening and between said hooks and a lower surface of the body flange adjacent the opening. 
     
     
       16. The combination of claim 15 wherein said sleeve is split from the bottoms of said slots downward to the lower end of said sleeve thereby defining two semi-cylindrical members, and the material of said sleeve is sufficiently flexible and resilient that said two semi-cylindrical members may be spread apart to permit said wedge bar to pass therebetween and into said slots during assembly, said semi-cylindrical members then returning to their undeformed positions retaining said wedge bar within said slots.